Patrick Marber's award-winning Closer returns to the National next month in a new production directed by Paddy Cuneen. It opens at the NT's Lyttelton Theatre for 13 performances only from Dec. 20, following a national and international tour which attracted sell-out audiences in Moscow, St Petersburg and the Czech Republic.

Patrick Marber's award-winning Closer returns to the National next month in a new production directed by Paddy Cuneen. It opens at the NT's Lyttelton Theatre for 13 performances only from Dec. 20, following a national and international tour which attracted sell-out audiences in Moscow, St Petersburg and the Czech Republic.

Set in London in the late 1990s, Closer explores the vicissitudes of modern relationships as four strangers -- a photographer, a doctor, a journalist and a stripper -- meet, fall in love and become entangled in a web of lust, sex and betrayal.

The original production of Closer, directed by Marber himself, premiered at the NT's Cottesloe in 1997, subsequently transferring to the larger Lyttelton Theatre and then to the West End and on to Broadway. Amongst its many accolades, Closer won the 1997 Time Out Award for Best Play in the West End, the 1997 Evening Standard Best Comedy Award, the 1997 Critics Circle Best Play Award and the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play. Marber was also a runner-up for the 1997 Lloyds' Playwright of the Year Award.

Cuneen wrote the music for the original production, but also has impressive directing credits. He was an associate director for the now disbanded Cheek by Jowl touring company and has directed productions for the Liverpool Everyman, the Gate Theatre in London and the Druid Theatre Company.

The new production of Closer stars Darrell D'Silva, Barnaby Kay, Lizzy McInnerny and Amanda Ryan. It replaces the poorly received production of Stephen Poliakoff's Remember This which closed early on 23 November after six weeks. For further information, contact the National box office on 011-44-171 452-3000.